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Nutrition FAQs

Select a question to reveal the answer.

Q: Is there one diet for people with IBD?

A: No. There is personalized medicine and there is personalized nutrition. There is not one diet for everyone with IBD, just like there is not one medication for everyone with IBD. At the Jill Roberts Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (JRC), we work closely with our patients to develop personalized nutrition plans that take into account each patient’s past medical history, food preferences, food triggers, disease activity, etc.

Q: How does my disease activity impact what I can eat?

A: What you eat during a flare can be very different from what you eat when you’re in remission. For example, many people need to avoid high fiber foods during flares but not when they’re healthy. Part of our job is to educate our patients on how to modify their diets based on their disease activity or inactivity while ensuring that they’re eating a healthy diet at every stage.

Q: I’ve heard that what I eat with IBD doesn’t matter, is that true?

A: No! We don’t know at this time whether or not food causes, prevents, or cures IBD, but we do know that what you eat plays an important role in managing your disease. At JRC, we use food and nutrition to better control your symptoms, to help your medications work more effectively, and to correct or prevent nutrient deficiencies.

A: We do not charge for nutrition visits, provided that you are an established patient at JRC who has seen one of our physicians within the past year.

Q: What should I bring to my appointment?

A: In order to make the most of your visit, we highly encourage you to keep a Food and Symptom Diary for at least five days prior to your nutrition appointment. Your diary should include what and when you eat and drink, and when your symptoms occur.